2025 BMW M3 Review

When it comes out in 2025, the M3 will have BMW’s iDrive 8.5 entertainment system. With the updated software, augmented reality guidance directions can now be projected onto the windshield for a head-up display that is not required. This year, 20 horsepower was added to the all-wheel drive M3 Competition xDrive, which made it 523. The M3 CS has been taken off the list of approved vehicles. The car now has new headlights, a different wheel design, and optional M Shadowline exterior accents that change the way it looks. The dashboard and driving wheel have been updated on the inside.

Pros

• Very strong and quick.
• Dealing with energy and confidence.
• Better setting for entertainment.

Cons

• Encourages impolite driving.
• Poor-quality manual transmission.
• Controversial fashion sense.

To power all M3 cars, a 3.0-liter inline-six twin-turbo engine is used. The normal model has 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque sent to the back wheels, which makes it way too good to be called a base model. There is only one gearbox choice for this model: a six-speed manual. It has 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, which is even more powerful than the M3, but it can only be bought with an eight-speed automatic gear. The M3 Comp comes with a normal rear-wheel drive, but you can choose all-wheel drive (xDrive) instead. The M3 Comp already has 523 horsepower, but this device adds 20 horsepower and has a rear-drive mode. Each M3 also has adaptive dampers and a stop pedal feel that can be changed. Carbon-ceramic brakes with beautiful gold-painted calipers may be added to the sedan to make them even more strong. During our first drive, both the Competition version and the regular M3 showed off their amazing drifting skills, which were helped by the optional M Drift Analyzer, which is part of the M Drive expert package. We were equally enthralled by how fast the engine kept going and how smoothly the manual transmission changed gears. It’s not as immersive for the driver in the M3 as it is in the loud Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, and the steering feels less accurate.

BMW wants drivers to be involved with their M cars, but the sedan comes with a number of standard and extra features that help drivers. Check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) webpages to learn more about the M3’s crash test scores. Some important safety factors are:

• Back cross-traffic alert and blind-spot recognition are standard.
• Regular lane guidance and warnings as you exit.
• You can get adaptive speed control.

Some “M” badges and trim pieces make the inside of the M3 different from the regular 3-series, but other than that, it’s pretty much the same. So, the M3 has the same look, number of seats, and view from the outside as its less high-tech forerunner, the 3-series. Even though M cars are known for having great speed, they also perform as well as or better than the top-level 3-series trim when it comes to building quality and interior materials. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the M3 looks sportier with more carbon fiber and microsuede added to it. The big, curved digital instrument cluster in the M3 can be controlled by buttons that you can see on the heavy steering wheel. In faster drive modes, the cluster can be changed to M View. The normal tachometer is replaced by an easier-to-read one with a shift display when you switch to M View. This might not be true on long road trips, but there is a set of highly bolstered, lightweight front seats that are available (they come standard on the Competition) and offer great support without losing much comfort.

Up to 16 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway are what the M3 car can do. When all-wheel drive is added, the gas mileage drops to 22 mpg on the highway. It got 32 mpg more gas mileage than the EPA said it would on our highway test loop, which is part of our highly strict testing process.

The M3’s entertainment system is handled by a big, curved touchscreen that goes from behind the steering wheel to the middle of the dashboard. It comes with buttons and a rotary knob on the center panel, so you can use them instead of the touchscreen if you don’t like them. The M3 has many charging ports for phones and a number of features that can be added or removed. BMW has finally agreed to support Android Auto, and you no longer need a premium account to use Apple CarPlay. Both come with the car, as well as a Harman/Kardon sound system and a SiriusXM satellite radio contract for one year. The system has a wireless charging pad, gesture controls, and a Wi-Fi hotspot that you can connect to with a contract.

Our long-term M3 had rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission. On our test track, it took it 3.9 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. The fastest time to 60 mph was 2.8 seconds for an eight-speed automatic M3 Competition with all-wheel drive.

The six-speed manual transmission in the regular M3 is very nice, but the more powerful M3 Competition can only be bought with an automatic gearbox. We can see why some people would like the M3 Comp because it has more power, and all-wheel drive is an option, but the regular M3 Comp rides better. We suggest the M Drive Professional package, which comes with a drift analyzer and lap timer, and the M Driver’s package, which increases the top speed and adds a high-performance driving class. You can also choose from different exterior and interior styles.